Thomas Portes accused of ‘putting a target on the backs of Israeli athletes’ with remarks at protest against Gaza war

An MP for the radical-left France Unbowed party has sparked outrage after saying Israeli athletes are not welcome at the Paris Olympics and calling for protests against their presence.

Citing Israel’s war in Gaza, Thomas Portes told a pro-Palestinian gathering in Paris on Saturday: “We are just a few days away from an international event to be held in Paris, the Olympic Games. And I’m here to say that no, the Israeli delegation is not welcome in Paris. Israeli athletes are not welcome at the Olympic Games in Paris. We have to use this deadline and all the levers we have to mobilise.”

Yonathan Arfi, the head of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF), described the comments as “indecent” and “irresponsible”, accusing Portes of “putting a target on the backs of Israeli athletes”.

Arfi reminded the MP that 11 Israeli athletes were killed by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Munich Olympics and said the country’s Olympians were “already the most in danger” at the Games.

  • @[email protected]English
    8•4 months ago

    Yes, US athletes absolutely should not be welcome for the many atrocities their country has commited and still comitts.

    Russian athletes are not allowed to partake as russians and need to use neutral colors, flags, anthems and are not allowed to be supported by russian organisations duevto their invasion of Ukraine. The same should be applied to Israelis and US athletes.

    • @[email protected]English
      1•4 months ago

      Maybe that’s reasonable. Where do we draw the line? What’s the statute of limitations on an atrocity? What is terrible enough to warrant a ban? What about having capital punishment? Depending on where you draw the line, I feel like a lot of the world would be stripped of their colors at the Olympics, which to me feels like it defeats the purpose.

      ty for your take

      edit: added example